US Congress vows not to turn a blind eye to Nigeria’s killings

The United States House Appropriations Committee has restated America’s commitment to confronting religious persecution around the world—particularly in Nigeria—in a statement shared on its official X account on Wednesday.

“America will not turn its back while innocent people are being killed.

“Under the direction of @POTUS, members of the Appropriations Committee carried out a fact-finding mission in Nigeria to support a report on the persecution of Christians and shape future policy decisions.

“Protecting religious liberty and responding to atrocities are key priorities in our NSRP legislation,” the committee wrote.

The message followed a recent visit to Nigeria by a group of congressional appropriators, a trip reportedly authorized by President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed that he had received the American delegation as part of continuing security discussions between both countries. Ribadu noted that the visit built on earlier meetings in Washington, D.C., and centered on issues such as counter-terrorism collaboration, regional peace, and strengthening longstanding defence ties.

One of the visiting lawmakers, Rep. Riley Moore, described the trip as “very productive” in a post on X. While in Nigeria, he also held discussions with Tiv leaders and Catholic representatives in Benue State.

The delegation’s visit occurred amid rising diplomatic friction following the Trump administration’s decision to once again classify Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of religious persecution—an action accompanied by warnings that the U.S. could consider military involvement if necessary.

The Nigerian government has consistently dismissed claims that Christians are being systematically targeted, maintaining that insecurity affects people of all religious backgrounds.

Earlier, on November 20, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Ribadu at the Pentagon to develop coordinated approaches to Nigeria’s security challenges. On the same day, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing to review the consequences of Nigeria’s new designation.

Just last week, House Republicans expressed renewed alarm over religious-based attacks in Nigeria during a joint briefing mandated by President Trump. The President had, on October 31, instructed Moore and the Appropriations Committee to investigate what he described as widespread killings of Christians and submit their findings to the White House.